Tributes have been paid to a Stamford doctor who was renowned for his contributions to politics.
Dr Ismail Jalili served as a town and district councillor alongside his work as an ophthalmologist at Peterborough and Stamford hospitals.
He died on September 14, four years after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
His wife Maureen, a former mayor of Stamford, said "He was a man who was never happier than when in the loving company of his family."
Ismail, known locally as Sam, was born in Damascus but grew up in Mosul in Iraq.
The family moved to Baghdad where Ismail started his medical training but he was forced to leave the country because of political troubles and went on to graduate in Cairo.
He moved to the UK in 1972 to join the NHS and met Maureen a year later while she was working as a medical secretary.
They married in 1976 and have two sons, Osama and Duraid, and a two-year-old grandson Elian.
During his career Dr Jalili became involved with genetic research and had an eye syndrome named after him.
He also set up the British Arab Medical Association and following the Iraq war in 2003, put together a report on the assassination of academics in Iraq and gave evidence at a parliamentary review.
Maureen said: "They were his proudest moments."
Away from politics, his interests were photography, reading and gardening.
Stamford Town Council held a minute's silence in honour of Dr Jalili at its meeting this week.
Town clerk, Patricia Stuart-Mogg, said: "Sam's interests and passions were wide and supportive. He collaborated in one of the finest projects to recreate the ancient Gold Lyre of Ur.
"Dr. Jalili was an active, popular and dedicated member of the town council. He was a truly good man whose innate integrity was evident to all who knew him. He will be sorely missed by former friends and colleagues alike."
A humanist ceremony and burial took place at Stamford Cemetery last week followed by a reception at the town hall.
By Andrea Scholes
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